Tom Gill waterfalls (Glen Mary)
Getting there, parking, where to stay and the fells you can walk straight from Tom Gill waterfalls (Glen Mary).
Tom Gill at a glance
Tom Gill is the beck that drains Tarn Hows, and its short wooded ravine holds a lovely string of cascades — the main fall a modest but pretty drop — on the classic path that climbs from the A593 up to the tarn. The Victorians knew the spot as "Glen Mary": John Ruskin, who lived across the water at Brantwood, thought "Tom Gill" too plain a name for so pretty a place and rebranded it — the National Trust car park at the bottom still carries his version (Glen Mary Bridge). To be clear about what's what: **the falls are in the wooded gill below the tarn** — Tarn Hows itself is the famous beauty spot at the top; the falls are the reward for walking up to it the interesting way.
Quick facts
| What it is | A chain of woodland cascades on Tom Gill, the outflow of Tarn Hows — Ruskin's "Glen Mary" |
| The walk | ~0.5 miles / 20–30 min up from Glen Mary Bridge (A593) to the tarn, falls en route |
| Difficulty | Short but steep and uneven — rocky steps and a couple of awkward rough sections beside drops |
| Can you swim? | No — shallow cascades in a wooded gill (the tarn above is NT and not a swim spot either) |
| Dogs | On leads — NT woodland and grazing land |
| Pushchair / family | Falls path no for pushchairs; a good short adventure for families with steady kids. (Step-free Tarn Hows access exists — from the top car park, not this path) |
| Getting there | NT Glen Mary Bridge car park on the A593 Coniston–Ambleside road |
| Best time | After rain for the falls; autumn for the woods; early for parking |
| Nearby | Tarn Hows above, Coniston and Coniston Water below |
Where is Tom Gill waterfalls (Glen Mary)?
Tom Gill waterfalls (Glen Mary) near Coniston, in the Lake District. Zoom and pan to explore — or see every Lake District waterfall on one map.
The walk in
From the National Trust Glen Mary Bridge car park on the A593, the path climbs straight up beside the beck through oak and larch. The cascades come in a chain — small slides and spouts first, then the main fall in the ravine's tightest twist — with the path zig-zagging on rocky, root-laced steps beside them. It's short (about half a mile, 20–30 minutes up) but honestly steep and uneven, with a couple of rough sections passing above drops where you'll want hands free and children in front of you. The payoff at the top is the sudden arrival at Tarn Hows — the woods open and the most manicured view in the Lake District appears all at once. Do the circuit of the tarn (level, ~1.5 miles) and come back down the same way, or return by the quieter path on the gill's east side.
When to go
The falls are rain-fed and quick to shrink — after a wet spell they're a lively chain of white; in a dry week they're a murmur, and the walk becomes about the woods and the tarn instead. Autumn is the glory season, the beech and larch turning around the cascades. This is honeypot country: the car park is modest and the tarn draws crowds, so arrive early on any fine day, or come on a soft grey one — the ravine suits it.
The setting
Tom Gill threads the wooded, knobbly in-between country of Monk Coniston — the estate the National Trust assembled with Beatrix Potter's help in the 1930s, of which Tarn Hows is the centrepiece. It's a landscape more curated than wild: the tarn itself is a Victorian creation (three small tarns dammed into one), the woods are planted, and the falls are the most natural thing in it — which is perhaps why Ruskin loved them. Above the trees, Black Fell and Holme Fell frame the view, with the Coniston fells filling the western sky.
The name & its story
John Ruskin — Coniston's great Victorian art critic, from his home at Brantwood — found "Tom Gill" insufficiently poetic and rechristened the ravine "Glen Mary"; the name stuck to the bridge and car park at its foot, so today the spot answers to both. Nobody remembers who Tom was. "Gill," from the Old Norse gil, is a ravine — so "Tom Gill waterfalls" is one of those pleasingly Lakeland names that quietly says "Tom's ravine's waterfalls." Ruskin, presumably, would still not approve.
Family, dogs & accessibility
A genuinely good family outing for school-age children who can manage steep rocky steps — short, adventurous, with the tarn (and usually an ice-cream van at the top car park) as the carrot. Keep them close on the rough sections beside the drops. Not a pushchair path; for step-free Tarn Hows, drive to the main Tarn Hows car park instead, which has an accessible path around the tarn — the falls, though, are only reachable on foot up this gill. Dogs on leads (NT land, stock grazing). Toilets at the main Tarn Hows car park, not at Glen Mary.
The fells above
Black Fell rises directly above the tarn's east side and Holme Fell across the A593 to the west — both small, characterful and covered on our walked Holme Fell and Black Fell route, which makes a fine bigger day from the same start. The serious skyline beyond is the Coniston Old Man group. More falls in the Lake District waterfalls guide.
Fells & walks near Tom Gill waterfalls (Glen Mary)
Straight-line distances from the centre of Tom Gill waterfalls (Glen Mary) — the nearest summits with a full guide on this site.
All walks from Tom Gill waterfalls (Glen Mary) → — every route and fell within about 5 km, ranked, with today’s conditions.
Getting there & parking
The NT Glen Mary Bridge car park (pay & display, free to NT members) is on the A593 between Coniston and Ambleside, about two miles north of Coniston village. It's small and popular — early or late on fine days. The 505 Coniston–Ambleside bus passes the gate on request stops, making this a very doable car-free waterfall. The falls path starts straight from the car park at the bridge.
Events & festivals
Planning a trip around a show or festival? See our Lake District events & festivals guide for what's on near Tom Gill waterfalls (Glen Mary) — traditional Lakeland sports, agricultural shows and seasonal events, month by month.
📚 Maps & guidebooks for Tom Gill waterfalls (Glen Mary)
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